To Facebook or not to Facebook

This is a question that can easily divide a room in half at a party amongst people my age: “Are you on Facebook?” Unlike teenagers and twenty-somethings, my peers are more hesitant to adapt new social networking practices, treading cautiously and making sure no credit card numbers are required before joining. On the other hand, just like some school aged children, those not using Facebook are quick to sling arrows and insults towards those that are. Just like all of those insecure bullies on the playground.

In the same way that a gun can be used to protect yourself, or murder someone, Facebook can be put to good, productive use, or it can be abused and exploited. If you’re careful, Facebook doesn’t need to be the three headed monster lurking in your closet, contrary to what its critics tell me.

I have been on Facebook for a few years now, and am happy to count amongst my random list of friends some of my oldest and dearest childhood buddies. I don’t exchange messages with them on a regular basis, but am happy that I know how to reach them if I want to share a memory with them, and if I’m ever in their city, I will look them up, since I now know where to find them.

Naysayers tell me they are in touch with all of the friends they want to be, they don’t need an online presence for this purpose. That’s their prerogative. But if life wasn’t so busy and these people still lived in my neighborhood, I would still ask Kyla if she could go bike riding after dinner, and ask Trina to come over, see if Jacqui could pick me up on her scooter, or ask Angie to go to a movie. I would love to be able to do this, but these friends are now scattered across the country and busy with careers and families. Facebook is as close to a playdate as we can come.

With almost my entire family on the opposite coast of Canada, Facebook is a great way of sharing photos. We tried Flickr after our family cruise, but I have long since forgotten both the site name (Regan Cruise? Family Cruise? Booze Cruise?) and password. Facebook is so much easier. Every now and then I post an album of recent photos, and although I can almost hear a collective groan from the rest of my Facebook friends, it helps my family recognize my children who are growing like weeds when they disembark from the airplane each summer.

As for people who say it is nothing but a pick up place, or a place to connect with old boyfriends, I’m still waiting with bated breath, but no one has tried to pick me up. There’s always next year, I guess.

Besides all of its obvious uses, Facebook is a huge part of our pop culture. Ignoring it is like ignoring the World Wide Web. Whether or not the powers that be at Facebook should install a “dislike” button has sparked a massive online debate – over the top, in my opinion, but fascinating to see how passionate Facebook users are about their network. Or to see how much time people have on their hands.

Like an overused toy on Christmas that doesn’t see the light of Boxing Day, I go on Facebook sporadically these days, it has lost its shiny luster. I don’t check my news feed everyday to see who has updated their status. But I’m happy to be there in case an old friend looks me up, and I’m not above creeping – the Facebook term for looking at your friends profiles and pictures – in my spare time. The world is becoming a smaller, more intimate place, and that has its benefits.

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I’m with you! I don’t get the addiction (or the need to be continually updating my status….as if anyone would care), but it IS cool to reconnect with longlostfriends. This was a first for me, though – an academic conference in London next fall that I’m planning to take part in has put out the call for proposals, and the ONLY venue for submission is FB!